For the past 17 years, the AAOS and the NIH have collaborated in the development and implementation of annual research workshops. Invited investigators discuss and define the state-of -the-art as it pertains to a topical area of orthopaedics and, importantly, suggest future directions of research. The proceedings of these meetings are widely disseminated through print and recently, electronic media. Efforts are made to include participation by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. Funding is requested to provide partial support for the next five AAOS/NIH workshops. The following topics will be covered: Intervertebral Disc Degeneration (2005), Developmental Biology and Orthopaedics (2006), Musculoskeletal Imaging and Computer Assisted Surgery (2007), Senior Sports and Aging (2008), Clinical Trials in Orthopaedics (2009). Two or more senior investigators from the relevant disciplines have been selected to co-chair each workshop. These co-chairs will decide where to hold the workshop, who to invite, what strategic questions the workshop will address, and other such issues. They will also be responsible for budgets, as well as for publishing the proceedings and conclusions of the workshop in a timely manner. The 2005 workshop on Intervertebral Disc Degeneration is already at an advanced stage of planning. For the subsequent proposed workshops, chairs have been identified and the goals and context of each topic have been summarized. Collectively, these workshops will: 1) Define the current status of clinical and pre-clinical research and practice in important areas of musculoskeletal medicine; 2) Identify areas of need for new or additional research; 3) Define needs and opportunities for translating laboratory research into clinical practice; 4) Stimulate the research agenda and provide education to the musculoskeletal community, including practicing physicians, in the form of timely publication via the internet, as well as in print; and 5) Promote interaction between stakeholders in the area of musculoskeletal medicine. [unreadable] [unreadable]